Delusory Parasitosis and Other Mind Myths About ?· Delusory Parasitosis and Other Mind Myths About…

<ul><li><p>Delusory Parasitosis and </p><p>Other Mind Myths About </p><p>Bugs </p><p>Nancy C. Hinkle, Ph.D. </p><p>Dept. of Entomology </p><p>Univ. of Georgia </p><p>Athens, Georgia </p></li><li><p>Morgellons Research Foundation Researching an emerging infectious skin disease </p><p> Image 1: Lip of 3 year old boy, 10x </p><p> Image 2: Object from same lip, 60x </p><p>http://www.morgellons.org/Media.htmlhttp://www.morgellons.org/pics.htmlhttp://www.morgellons.org/register.htmlhttp://www.morgellons.org/Microscopes.htmlhttp://www.morgellons.org/Perspectives.htmlhttp://www.morgellons.org/kellett.htmlhttp://www.morgellons.org/Media.htmlhttp://www.morgellons.org/pics.htmlhttp://www.morgellons.org/register.htmlhttp://www.morgellons.org/Microscopes.htmlhttp://www.morgellons.org/Perspectives.htmlhttp://www.morgellons.org/kellett.html</p></li><li><p>THE FIBER DISEASE </p></li><li><p>CDC Investigating Morgellons Illness CDC investigates whether bizarre Morgellons condition is real or imagined CDC Funds Morgellons Study </p><p>(AP) Imagine your body pocked by erupting sores. The sensation of little </p><p>bugs crawling all over you. And worst of all, mysterious red and blue fibers </p><p>sprouting from your skin. </p><p>It may sound like a macabre science fiction movie, but a growing legion of </p><p>Americans say they suffer from this condition. And now the U.S. Centers </p><p>for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating. </p><p>Some doctors dismiss these patients as delusional. But the condition - </p><p>called Morgellons - has caused a small frenzy on the Internet, with </p><p>hundreds of people pleading for help. </p><p>"Sometimes the government doesn't want to panic people until they can </p><p>figure out a definitive cause," said Pat Boddie, a 62-year-old Alabama </p><p>woman who said she's had Morgellons for 14 years. </p><p>"They're trying to figure out if this is going to be an epidemic. I hate to tell </p><p>them, but it already is," she said. </p><p>The CDC has been receiving as many as 20 calls a day from self-</p><p>diagnosed Morgellons patients. The agency has been urged to investigate </p><p>by, among others, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. </p><p>"We're going into this with an open mind," said Dan Rutz, spokesman for a </p><p>CDC Morgellons task force. </p></li><li><p>EKBOM SYNDROME </p><p>-- A CONDITION IN </p><p>WHICH THE </p><p>INDIVIDUAL </p><p>CONSIDERS </p><p>HIMSELF </p><p>INFESTED BY </p><p>INVISIBLE BUGS </p><p>(DELUSORY PARASITOSIS) </p></li><li><p>Infestation population of </p><p>organisms lives in (or on), feeding, </p><p>reproducing, and sustaining itself </p></li><li><p>Delusory Parasitosis </p><p>Ekbom Syndrome </p><p>an erroneous, unshakable belief that the </p><p>skin is infested with a parasite </p><p> A delusion is a false belief that is not consistent </p><p>with the patients intelligence, educational level, </p><p>or cultural background, and that cannot be </p><p>corrected by reasoning (Koblenzer 1993) </p></li><li><p>EKBOM SYNDROME </p><p>K.A. EKBOM (1907-1977) </p><p>Swedish neurologist who described </p><p>Delusion of Infestation in the </p><p>Elderly </p><p>Acta Psychiatrica et Neurologica Scandinavica (1938) </p><p>History of Psychiatry (Classic Text No. 54) 14(2): 232-256 </p></li><li><p>Demographics </p><p>Symptoms </p><p>Management Behaviors </p><p>Medical History </p><p>Comorbidities </p></li><li><p>Dr. Hinkle- </p><p>I have been suffering from what feels like insect bites at night, but </p><p>can't ever see any insects where affected. Every so often I think i </p><p>see something flying past me but have still never found one. I </p><p>used a fogger for my apartment and while it seemed to work for a </p><p>few days, the culprit is back in full force. I also just recently </p><p>returned from being out of town for 4 days thinking the lack of a </p><p>blood source would starve whatever it is, but only seemed to make </p><p>them hungrier. </p><p>I feel like they are crawling on me, followed by an intense sting / </p><p>bite, then a little welt forms that when scratched turns into a scab </p><p>that doesn't heal quickly, as in 1-2 weeks before they finally go </p><p>away (the scabs). Nothing I've found on the web has been helpful </p><p>in pinpointing what I'm dealing with, and I was hoping you might </p><p>be able to steer me in the right direction for relief. </p></li><li><p>Help!! </p><p>I am being bitten alive by invisible bugs! When I'm being bitten I feel a </p><p>sharp sensation, like a tiny pinprick, but when I look at where I am being </p><p>bitten I cant see a darn thing. I have tiny red dots all over my body under </p><p>my skin (where I believe the bugs have bitten me), but my doctor says </p><p>they are probably nothing. (Whatever, doc) There is no welt or noticeable </p><p>bite mark. I feel itchy all over my body, my feet, my belly, my hair, </p><p>especially when I am in the basement and at night. I know this isn't in my </p><p>head b/c when ppl come over to the basement, they are itchy too. Also, I </p><p>believe its a bug that jumps because when I am around someone else, </p><p>they start to feel itchy as well (without me saying a WORD about the </p><p>bugs). I have sprayed the place enough times, vaccuumed and scrubbed </p><p>for hours, washed my sheets and clothes in hot water twice and bagged </p><p>them, then froze them, and have now just resorted to spraying OFF on </p><p>myself and when I'm really desperate - RAID - before and after bed </p><p>because this is the only way I get relief. </p><p>Does anyone battle this same mysterious bug? Any advice???? </p><p>Please HELP! </p></li><li><p>PEOPLE BLAME </p><p> SPIDER BITES </p><p> BED BUGS </p><p> SCABIES </p><p> CHIGGERS </p><p> THRIPS </p><p> SPRINGTAILS </p><p> BIRD OR RODENT MITES </p></li><li><p>SPIDERS DO NOT BITE HUMANS </p></li><li><p>BED BUGS ARE NOT INVISIBLE </p></li><li><p>Scabies = Sarcoptes scabiei infestation </p></li><li><p>CHIGGER </p></li><li><p>BITING MIDGE </p></li><li><p>THRIPS </p><p>(THYSANOPTERA) </p></li><li><p>Springtails </p><p>(Collembola) </p></li><li><p>BIRD MITES (FEED ONLY ON BIRDS) </p></li><li><p>Some DP Background: </p><p> DP is the most commonly </p><p> reported delusional disorder </p><p> More than 250,000 cases in U.S. </p><p> Often affects people in pairs </p><p> or groups in a shared </p><p> delusion, called folie-a-deux. </p><p> Entire families, entire offices, are susceptible </p></li><li><p>A. MOST COMMON IN ELDERLY </p><p>B. DISPROPORTIONATELY FEMALE </p><p>C. EXHIBIT SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIORS </p><p> 1. QUIT JOBS </p><p> 2. BURN/DESTROY FURNITURE </p><p> 3. ABANDON HOME </p><p> 4. OBSESSIVE LAUDERING/CLEANING </p><p> 5. REPEATED PESTICIDE MISUSE </p><p> 6. USE HOME REMEDIES </p><p> 7. SELF-MUTILATION/EXCORIATION </p><p>D. PROVIDE SPECIMENS- GOBBETS OF TISSUE, OTHER </p><p> DEBRIS </p><p>E. ELABORATE DESCRIPTIONS OF PEST &amp; LIFE CYCLE </p></li><li><p>F. SOCIAL ISOLATION </p><p>G. MAJOR LIFE EVENT (DIVORCE, BEREAVEMENT, </p><p> JOB LOSS) </p><p>H. CONSULTED SEVERAL PHYSICIANS </p><p>I. MEAN DURATION OF DELUSION &gt; 3 YR. </p><p>J. COMPLAIN OF ITCHING, CRAWLING, STINGING, </p><p>BITING </p><p>K. ADAMANT THAT IT IS AN INFESTATION </p><p>L. EXPRESSES DESPERATION </p><p>M. DELUSION EVENTUALLY SHARED BY ANOTHER </p></li><li><p> When the sensation is felt </p><p> Apply tape </p><p> Gently fold tape on itself </p><p> Box and ship </p></li><li><p>SENSATIONS ARE REAL </p><p> PHYSICAL </p><p> PHYSIOLOGICAL </p><p> PSYCHOLOGICAL </p></li><li><p>PHYSICAL CAUSES OF </p><p>SKIN DISCOMFORT </p></li><li><p>PHYSIOLOGICAL CAUSES OF SKIN DISCOMFORT </p><p>DERMATOGRAPHIA </p><p>(DERMNET.COM) </p><p>RINGWORM </p></li><li><p>DIABETIC NEUROPATHY IS A SERIOUS COMPLICATION OF </p><p>DIABETES, AFFECTING HALF OF DIABETICS. </p><p>NERVES DAMAGED BY DIABETIC NEUROPATHY CAN CAUSE </p><p>STINGING OR BURNING SENSATIONS, TINGLING, PAIN, </p><p>NUMBNESS OR A CRAWLING SENSATION ON THE SKIN. </p></li><li><p>FORMICATION </p></li><li><p>SOME DISEASES CHARACTERIZED </p><p>BY PARESTHESIA OR PRURITUS </p><p>SYMPTOMS </p><p> AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES (LUPUS) </p><p>CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE </p><p>CIRRHOSIS </p><p>DIABETES </p><p>HEPATITIS </p><p>HIV INFECTION </p><p>HODGKINS DISEASE </p><p>HYPERTHYROIDISM </p><p>HYPOTHYROIDISM </p><p> HEAVY-METAL POISONING </p><p>LYME DISEASE </p><p>MALIGNANCIES/NEOPLASMS </p><p>MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS </p><p>PARKINSONS DISEASE </p><p>RENAL FAILURE </p><p>STROKE </p><p>SYPHILIS </p><p>VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES </p></li><li><p>10 U.S. Prescription Products by Sales, 2003 Prescription products only. </p><p>Source: IMS National Sales PerspectivesTM, 2/2006 </p><p> DRUG </p><p> POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS </p><p> 1 </p><p> Rash, paresthesia, pruritus </p><p> 2 </p><p> Urticaria, pruritus, rash, erythema </p><p> 3 </p><p> Erythema, urticaria </p><p> 4 </p><p> Paresthesia, pruritus, rash, urticaria, erythema </p><p> 5 </p><p> Erythema, rash, urticaria </p><p> 6 </p><p> Erythema, rash </p><p> 7 </p><p> Dermatitis, pruritus, paresthesia, rash, urticaria </p><p> 8 </p><p> Paresthesia, dermatitis, pruritus, rash, urticaria </p><p> 9 </p><p> Paresthesia, pruritus, rash </p><p>10 </p><p> Paresthesia, pruritus, urticaria </p><p>Top 10 U.S. Prescription Products by Sales, 2008 </p><p>Lipitor </p><p>Amoxicillin </p><p>Lisinopril </p><p>Lotensin </p><p>Tenormin </p><p>Zithromax </p><p>Lasix </p><p>Xanax </p><p>Lopressor </p><p>Vicodin </p></li><li><p>COCAINE BUGS AND METH MITES </p></li><li><p>COCAINE BUGS </p><p>AND </p><p>METH MITES </p><p>COCAINE </p></li><li><p>The patient </p><p>complained of a </p><p>worm infestation in </p><p>his neck. He used a </p><p>pair of scissors to </p><p>excise the imagined </p><p>worms. </p><p>The toxicology screening of this patient was </p><p>positive for cocaine, opiates, and tranquilizers. </p></li><li><p>STRESS </p><p>ANXIETY </p><p>DEPRESSION </p><p>PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES </p></li><li><p>DISPLACEMENT ACTIVITY </p><p>an unconscious defense mechanism whereby the </p><p>mind redirects from situations producing </p><p>internal conflict (uncertainty or anxiety) and felt </p><p>to be dangerous or unacceptable to a focus felt to </p><p>be safe or acceptable. </p><p>Scratching and autogrooming (picking) are the </p><p>most commonly reported displacement activities </p><p>among primates. </p></li><li><p>FIRST </p><p>IDENTIFY THE PEST </p></li><li><p>What does your </p><p>agreement to treat </p><p>obligate you to? </p></li><li><p>THEY ARE STRICTLY MEDICAL CONDITIONS. </p><p>THE ONLY ARTHROPODS THAT INFEST HUMAN </p><p>BODIES ARE SCABIES MITES AND HUMAN LICE. </p><p>BECAUSE THESE LIVE EXCLUSIVELY ON </p><p>HUMAN BODIES, THERE IS NO ROLE FOR A PMP </p><p>IN CONTROLLING THEM. </p><p>SCABIES MITE </p><p>HUMAN LOUSE </p></li><li><p>No insect or mite can live in the environment and </p><p>switch to infesting the human body. </p><p>No insect or mite can feed on inorganic materials, so </p><p>cannot survive on furniture or carpeting. </p><p>No winged insects infest human bodies. </p><p>No invisible mites or insects infest human bodies. </p><p>No external animal parasites can infest humans. </p><p>Bird mites cannot infest humans. </p><p>Human body infestation is a medical condition and </p><p>must be treated by a physician. </p></li><li><p>EKBOM SYNDROME IS A MEDICAL CONDITION </p><p>Refer cases to UGA (Insects@uga.edu) 706-542-9033 </p></li></ul>